Saudis view Iran not israel ‘a major threat’ in ME
Maj. Gen. Ghasem Soleimani has told a meeting in Tehran Saudis has claimed Iran as a real threat, with ISIL no critical threat to the region.
On Wednesday evening, Maj. Gen. Soleimani, the Commander of IRGC Quds Force, addressed a meeting of army generals in a session to honor Gen. Hossein Hamedani, killed in a fight in Aleppo in October 2015. Soleimani, noting a meeting in Russia attneded by Saudi and Syrian officials, said Saudis quoted to have been telling a Syrian official in Moscow that ISIL would not pose much threat, but that Iran was a real threat instead. He also described the Saudi crown prince an overhasty character who would even kill the king himself to seize the crown.
Soleimani told the meeting that Syrian government was exceptional to Arab states, in that the country had been the sole Arab state to shun Zionist regime, while almost all other Arab countries come to terms with Israel and they establish diplomatic contacts with the regime in Palestinian Territories; he believed no Arab countries lavished their security for the defense of Muslims in general, but Syria was in the forefront.
Soleimani condemned the Camp David treaty as ‘a stab in the back’ of the Islamic world, where treachery had been evident. He praised Hafiz al-Assad for his having avoided the Paris meeting, since, Soleimani emphasized, “would predict any concession [by Syria] would only bolster Zionist position in the region.”
“Now, with 5 years since the war had engulfed Syria, the question is why terrorists and mercenaries from around the world would fight Assad. Once upon a time, King Abdullah offered the whole Lebanon to Bashar al-Assad, on the condition that he abandon relations with Iran and Hezbollah; Assad would have accepted the offer, but he rejected, denying the ‘great win’ the majority of politicians would assume as such,” he told the meeting.
Gen. Soleimani also gave an account of a meeting in Moscow where Saudis also attended with Syrian official also present. “At the meeting, Saudi side asked Syrian official as to what the threat was in Syria; Syrian side responded that it was ISIL. However, Saudi side downplayed ISIL as nothing compared to Iran, which was the real threat and possible trade-off would be agreed over this major threat,” he emphasized.
“ISIL was created not to destroy Syria but to target Islamic Republic; we fight in Syria not only for the Syrian’s but also for Islam and Islamic Republic; yet we have been defending the Sunnis more than Shias,” and underlined “without Assad and its friends fighting extremists, they [extremists] would have established their Islamic Caliphate, and its reverberations in terms of cruelty and savagery to the world would have been far from guessing.”
Commander of Quds Force also predicted that Takfiris were conceded much defeat on the ground and that Syrian government and people would soon emerge triumphant, recovering almost all Syrian territories to the nation. “The Europe however, is the major loser paying inordinate costs for their support to ISIL,” he said.
“We should trust the wisdom and prudence of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei; if enemies are confounded by Iran today, it is due to Leader’s prudence,” he concluded.
